The author traces the psychological journey of one individual using the main character from Bernard Schlink's (1998) novel The Reader. Michael experiences a traumatizing teenage love affair that has tragic consequences. Because of Schlink's remarkable ability to describe in rich detail Michael's inner world, complete with the moral and emotional conflicts and despair, one is able to understand and trace the impact of his love affair, the damage it inflicts, and his attempts at emotional repair. The author looks at the particular family environment rendering Michael so vulnerable, the consequences of early sexual experiences, and the devastating impact, within Germany, of not being able to find adult male figures to idealize and thereby use as role models.